About: This is a detailed study of various aspects of the Cistercian Order in medieval Leinster. It focuses on the lands that the monasteries held in the province, including the great houses of Mellifont, Baltinglass, Jerpoint, Duiske, Tintern and Dunbrody. The main content of the book deals with the identification of the lands held by the Cistercian houses of Leinster, with references to other provinces. The last chapter deals with the fate of these monasteries in the post-Dissolution period.

ID number(s): 1453561005 / 9781453561003

WW Connection #1: Contains several references to Baltinglass Abbey. The author has worked as a guide and Information Officer at Jerpoint Abbey, which itself was founded from Baltinglass.

About: The Beathaisnéis Series comprises nine volumes of short Irish language essays on the lives of important and not-so-important Irish-speaking men and women. There are over 1,700 people featured from 1560 to the present and we will revisit this excellent series to highlight other Irish speakers who have a connection to West Wicklow. The text of all 9 volumes has now been digitised and published as a fully-searchable database on the website Ainm.ie

This blog entry refers to Gladys Allen (Gleadas Ní Allúin) who was a prominent figure in Church of Ireland Irish Language education. She was Principal of Coláiste Moibhí, the training college for teachers in Church of Ireland schools.

About: The definitive history of Dunlavin. An essential book for any collector of West Wicklow historical material. Erudite and exhaustive, to call it local history risks confining it to a narrower readership than it deserves.